


Jason

by AnselaJonla



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Female Runner Five, Gen, Tissue Warning, author is an evil person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 15:56:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15440544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnselaJonla/pseuds/AnselaJonla
Summary: "Kid zoms are the worst though aren't they?"Sam was wrong. There is something worse than a kid who's turned zom.





	Jason

_"Hey Five, how's the blackberry collecting going?"_

"Pretty good. I've managed to get quite a few, got a load of full boxes in my bag. I'll be heading back in soon."

_"Great. I know it's your day off and you can spend it how you want, but I'm so glad you listened to my suggestion to go after the berry bushes."_

"Hey, I've been picking at them every time I've run past since they started to ripen, seeing if they're ready." Five popped a berry into her mouth, making sure that she was facing the nearest camera. "They're perfectly ripe and delicious right now. It'd be selfish not to bring this haul back to Abel for everyone to share."

_"Too right! I've been trying to get Janine to let me go out and pick some, but she won't let me. Something about 'frivolous luxuries not being worth the risk'."_

"Frivolous luxuries? What? Blackberries are the _highlight_ of autumn! I've found a few gardens where people have grown rhubarb too. I'll make another run on my next free day to grab a few stalks to transplant to Abel. It should grow well over the old latrine pit. My gran used to grow hers over where she buried her dog's mess. Just think about rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb with sugar..."

_"Stop. You're making me drool."_

"That isn't diff-" Five cut off as she heard a rustle in the bushes. "Sam, is there anything near me?"

_"If there was a swarm on my scanners, I'd have already called you back. Let me double check... there's something there, but I don't think it's a zom."_

Five cautiously approached the bush where the rustling was centred. She drew the machete that she'd commandeered to deal with the stinging nettles that inevitably grew alongside brambles.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out quietly.

_"Great idea, Five. Let the zoms know where you are."_

"You said it's not a zom."

 _"I said I_ don't think _it's a zom. I could be wrong though. Be careful."_

"I'm always careful."

Something small darted out of the bush, colliding with Five's legs, knocking her backwards. As she steadied herself, she realised it was a child. A muddy child with torn clothes, which was now clinging tightly to her legs. And crying.

Five did not do well with children, especially ones that were crying. As she disentangled the clinging youngster from her, a deep rattling cough mixed with his crying hiccups made her heart sink.

"Sam, it's a child. He's about seven years old."

"I'm _eight_ , and my name's Jason" the kid insisted.

"Eight years old. He's..." Five's voice caught in her throat. She couldn't say it.

 _"Well, I know Janine keeps saying we can't take everyone in, everyone in Abel has to pull their weight and be useful, but... we can't leave_ kids _to die, that's not right, so bring him in Five."_

"I can't. He..." Five knelt down so she was at Jason's height. "When did this happen, Jason?" Her fingers brushed the skin above the bite on his leg, carefully not touching the wound that covered almost his entire calf.

"The nasty people attacked us in the night and hurt mummy so she ran away and I tried to follow her but she was too fast and there were more of them so I ran away from them but I didn't see the one in the grass just near the trees and it bit me and then I ran into the trees and saw you picking berries and you look nice so I thought you could help me find mummy." He got all of it out in almost one breath, before a coughing fit doubled him over.

Five rocked back on her heels, hoping that Sam would say something. He had to have heard it, she'd left her mic on deliberately.

"What's your mummy's name?" she asked, to fill the gap. It was a hopeless question. Even if she hadn't been bitten, there was almost no chance to find her, especially if she ended up in New Canton.

"Tina. But I have to call her Miss Jones at school, not mummy." He was coughing harder now, and more frequently.

 _“Five. Just... just leave him. There's nothing you can do."_ Sam's voice was close to breaking. _"Come on home."_

"There has to be _something,_ " Five insisted. Leaving this little kid to just turn grey didn't sit right with her.

_There's no cure, and kids turn fast. Just get up and run, please. Before he goes grey and bites you."_

Five shook her head. What Sam was saying made sense, but she didn't like it. She couldn't just walk away, leave this kid to die alone.

"You look sad. Am I going to be like daddy? He had a cough and then he went a weird colour and turned really mean and tried to hurt mummy. I don't want to be mean like daddy." Jason could barely speak for coughing now.

Five reached for the machete that she'd dropped when Jason hugged her legs. Leaving someone to turn zom was cruel, and especially if it was a kid.

_"Five, are you really going to? I mean... I know that we do that for adults sometimes, when they ask us to, but he's a kid. He doesn't know what he's saying.”_

"Don't watch," Five instructed Sam. She looked at Jason. "Hey, I thought I saw a squirrel earlier, over there. Why don't you see if you can spot it too?"

She turned her mic off as Jason spun round to try and spot the little rodent, and hefted the machete.

 

* * *

 

Five stumbled in through Abel's gates as night fell. The heavy metal portal dropped behind her, safely separating her from the horde that had pursued her back. She just collapsed to her knees in a dirty, exhausted heap, her pack sliding sideways to rest against the wall beside her.

She didn't even have the energy to struggle when Sam slammed into her, wrapping his arms around her as he knocked her flat.

"That was an incredible thing you did out there. I couldn't have done it. But if you _ever_ turn your headset off for that long again, I... I won't share my curly wurlies with you for a week." Sam pulled back to sit on his heels. "Welcome home, Five. Go get some rest, you've earned it."

  


**Author's Note:**

> It's up to you to decide if Five went through with it, or if she waited for Jason to turn.


End file.
